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NY insurers to cover 3-D mammograms

FILE - In this June 27, 2016, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his girlfriend Sandra Lee ride in a breast cancer awareness motorcycle event in New York. Following Lee's successful battle with breast cancer Gov. Cuomo called for big investments to fight cancer last year,(Photo: Seth Wenig, AP)

“We are undertaking the most aggressive action in the nation to expand access to breast cancer screenings, because early detection is the best possible treatment,” Cuomo, whose girlfriend Sandra Lee battled breast cancer, said in a statement.

Tomosynthesis creates a 3-D image of the breast by using x-rays that collect multiple images of the breast from different angles, allowing for better examination of dense breast tissue.

According to Cuomo’s office, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among black women and is the second leading cause of death for black women, even though screening rates for black and white women are about the same.

“It is a bold step for a state to require insurers to cover 3-D mammography with no cost-sharing,” Linda Goler Blount, president and CEO of the Black Women’s Health Imperative, said in a statement.

“The fact that black women now have access to 3-D mammography means there is a much greater chance they will get their difficult-to-detect cancers detected much earlier.”

On Jan. 1, a law took effect to increase access to breast cancer screenings. The state also mandated that all medically necessary abortion services are covered under state health law without cost sharing, and insurance policies must allow women to receive free contraceptives in amounts up to a 12-month supply.

The state also requires hospitals and clinics to offer extended hours for screenings.